SQL Server – Spatial Data, an Introduction – Part 1

Spatial data is anything that has a geographical location associated with it. Spatial data can be represented using points,lines, polygons and etc. Geographic Information System (GIS) is a system designed to collect, store, manage, view, and analyze spatial data, as well as associated attribute data.

Microsoft SQL Server has got Spatial Data feature since the version 2008 and it is getting improvement with additional features that helps interacting with shapes in the maps. We ca use SQL Server spatial data to represents physical location by points or other shape of geometric objects.

SQL Server supports two spatial types and that are implemented as .NET common language runtime (CLR) data types.

Geometry data type – It represents data in a Euclidean (flat) coordinate system